Latch



June 16, 1931. B ROH 1,810,087

LATCH Filed July 22, 1930 .2 Sheets-Sheet l June 16, 1931- B ROHE 1,810,087

LATCH 7 Filed July 22, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 16, 1931 IBEBNARD ROHE, OF ELG-IN, ILLINOIS w LATCH Application filed July 22, 1930. Serial No. 469,736.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in latches and more particularly to a door latch especially adapted for use on railway car doors.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of a door latch for use on railway car doors whereby the door can be partially opened for examining the interior of the car, but still be maintained in a latched 1o position against full opening movement.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a door latch which can not only be used for temporarily retaining the door in a closed position and utilized for opening the door a short distance, but can be used for locking and sealing the door-when in a closed position.

A further object of the present invention is a latch which can be quickly and easily attached to standard railway freight cars for retaining the doors thereof in a closed position and is so constructed that it can be applied to doors and door frames of other types I to be used equally as well.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel features of construction, the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, pointed out in the claim and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a freight car showing my latchapplied thereto.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of my improved latch in looking position with parts thereof broken away and shown in cross-section.

Figure 8 is a detail'section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a 47-47 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a detail section on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the latch in partially open position.

Referring to the drawings wherein various r reference characters several parts 1 indicates in general a freight car of the box type having vertical side members 2 and 2 at each side of the usual door opening with a sliding door 3 in the opening having rollers 4: which ride on the trackway detail section on the line are used to designate the 5 which extends between the sidemem'bers 2 and 2.

Attached to the side member 2 is a plate 6 and attached to this plate 6 near the upper end thereof is a laterally disposed ear 7 having a slightly curved opening 8 there through to receive the'downwardlyprojecting lug 9 on the lever 10. Attached to the door 3 opposite the plate 6 is a small plate 11 having a laterally projecting sleeve 12 on the outer face thereof. v

Atthis point it will be noted that both the plates 6 and 11 are mounted upon suitable spacing blocks 13 and 13 respectively which space the plates from the side member 2 and door 3 respectively and form suitable base members for these plates. A. pivot bolt 14 is extended through the sleeve 12 with a nut on the inner end thereof which sets into; a suitable recess in the inner face of the Plate 11.

Mounted upon the sleeve 12 is a bell crank lever 15 with the pivot point of the lever arranged at the junction of the two arms of the lever as shown in Figure 2 and this arm is retained on the sleeve by means of the head 16 on the outer end of the pivot bolt 14 as shown in Figure 5.

The longer arm of the lever 15 is formed with a hinged joint 17 so that the handle portion of this lever can be swung laterally of the plate 6; The shorter arm 15 is extended upwardly and formed with spaced ears 18 adapted to be positioned upon opposite sides of the lateral extension 19 on the inner end of lever 1O. The extension 19 is formed with a longitudinal slot 20 in'which is slidahly mounted across pin 21 carried by the spaced cars 18 to permit a predetermined amount of swinging movement on the part of lever 15 without imparting movement to lever 10.

The lever "15 is provided with a downwardly projecting lug 22 which is adapted to be projected through an aperture 23 in the laterally projecting ear 24: on plate 6 below ear 7 as shown in Figures 2 and 3. This lug 22 is formed with a recess 24 and pivotally mounted in this recess is a latch member 25 which normally projects beyond the outer surface of the lug as shown in Figure 2 to prevent the lug from being drawn upwardly through the opening 23.

However when it is desired to draw the lug 22 through the opening 23 the latch mem ber 25 is pushed into the recess 24 so as to clear the walls of opening 23.

The lug 22 has projecting therefrom an apertured projection 26 through which a sealing strip may be passed said sealing strip passing also through an apertured projection 28 whereby the usual type of seal 29 can be used for sealing the latch against being opened without detection.

As shown in Figure 2 the latch is in a locked position but can easily be positioned so that the door can be moved to a slightly open position by lifting upwardly on lever 15 until lug 22 clears the ear 24L. This movement of lever 15 will also move lever 10 up wardly, but it can be dropped downwardly into locking position again as shown in F igure 6. When lever 15 is moved upwardly to Withdraw the lug 22 from opening 23 it can then be moved outwardly away from plate 6 by means of the hinge connection 17.

As the lever 15 is moved downwardly it will rock on sleeve 12 and move pin 21 to the upper end of slot 20, and as lever 10 is held against movement the application of weight against sleeve 12 will have a tendency to move door 3 to an open position as shown in Figure 6. However this opening movement is limited as the lug 9 on lever 10 is engaged within opening 8 in ear 7. The ear 24 is formed with a small passage 30 through which the projection 26 moves when lever 15 is moved upwardly.

The door 3 can be latched in a further open position than that shown in Figure 6 by disengaging lug 9 from ear 7, then pushing the door open and engaging lug 31 in opening 23. From this it will be apparent that the door can be latched and sealed in a closed position or latched in more than one open position and by having lever 15 mounted on pivot sleeve 12 and connected to lever 10 it provides suitable leverage whereby the door can be easily moved to an open position should the same become stuck and hard to open.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that this type of latch can be applied to various types of doors other than railway freight car doors and due to simplicity in construction can be manufactured and placed upon the market at a very low cost, but will be found to be very efficient for the purpose intended.

\Vhile I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention it will be apparent that various changes can be made in the construction of the device when putting the same into practice without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claim.

Claim:

In a latch for doors, spaced apertured ears mounted at one side of the door, a lever pivoted to the door, having one end extending upwardly from the pivot point and provided with spaced ears, a second lever having a lateral extension at one end adapted to be arranged between the ears on the first lever, said extension having a slot, a pin carried by the first lever and movable in said slot, and downwardly projecting lugs on said levers adapted to be engaged with the spaced apertured ears for retaining said door in a closed position.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of June, A. D. 1930.

BERNARD ROI-IE. 

